Pages

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Here's a few new recipes I've been enjoying lately. Hope you like them too.

This frittata is great with a green salad for dinner or at breakfast with fresh fruit...

Shelly’s Mushroom-Prosciutto Frittata

1 T olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup sliced brown or white (or combination) mushrooms

1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
8 large eggs

2 oz. prosciutto, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 c. shredded Parmesan

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

Adjust broiler rack to within 4 inches of broiler element. Turn on broiler.
Heat oil in 12 in. oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion. Raise heat to med-hi and add mushrooms. Add bell pepper. Continue to cook until mushrooms are golden and peppers are soft, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat eggs with a whisk until foamy. Add prosciutto, parmesan and black pepper; mix well. Reduce heat to med. and pour egg mixture into the skillet. Be sure to distribute the veggies, meat and cheese throughout the skillet. Cook, without stirring, until just the surface is runny, about 7 min. Place the skillet under the broiler and cook until surface is set but not brown, about 2 min. Before serving, run a knife around the edge of the frittata to loosen. Slice into wedges.

This is a really great comfort food dish...

Shelly's Poppy Seed Chicken

1 cup chopped broccoli, steamed

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 zucchinis, chopped

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1" pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can of cream of chicken soup

salt & pepper to taste

10 ritz crackers

poppy seeds

butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Steam broccoli and set aside. Saute onions and zucchini till golden. Remove from pan. Saute chicken until golden cooked through. Add broccoli, onions and zucchini back to pan. Mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup together and pour over. Stir to coat. Salt & pepper to taste. Pour into a casserole dish. Crumble crackers in a ziplock baggie, add poppy seeds and sprinkle mixture over the top of chicken. Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Drizzle melted butter evenly over crackers. Bake 30 minutes, until crackers are golden brown.

This chicken salad is great on it's own or made into a wrap with a low carb tortilla or lettuce leaf.

Be prepared to wait. A paperback can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.

Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.

Plan ahead. Don't let the gas tank get below one-quarter full; keep a well-stocked "emergency shelf" of home staples; don't wait until you're down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more; etc.

Don't put up with something that doesn't work right. If your alarm clock, wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers - whatever- are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.

Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments. Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.

Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.

Always set up contingency plans, "just in case." ("If for some reason either of us is delayed, here's what we'll do. . ." kind of thing. Or, "If we get split up in the shopping center, here's where we'll meet.")

Relax your standards. The world will not end if the grass doesn't get mowed this weekend.

Pollyanna-Power! For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings. Count 'em!

Ask questions. Taking a few moments to repeat back directions, what someone expects of you, etc., can save hours. (The old "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get," idea.)

Say "No!" Saying "no" to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don't have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and be alone.

Unplug your phone. Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption? Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect. (The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.) Or use an answering machine.

Make friends with non-worriers. Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.

Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.

Wear earplugs. If you need to find quiet at home, pop in some earplugs.

Get enough sleep. If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.

Create order out of chaos. Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are. Put things away where they belong and you won't have to go through the stress of losing things.

When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe short, shallow breaths. When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of the tissues is incomplete, and muscle tension frequently results. Check your breathing throughout the day, and before, during, and after high-pressure situations. If you find your stomach muscles knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths.

Writing your thoughts and feelings down (in a journal, or on paper to be thrown away) can help you clarify things and can give you a renewed perspective

Try the following yoga technique whenever you feel the need to relax. Inhale deeply through your nose to the count of eight. Then, with lips puckered, exhale very slowly through your mouth to the count of 16, or for as long as you can. Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve. Repeat 10 times.

Inoculate yourself against a feared event. Example: before speaking in public, take time to go over every part of the experience in your mind. Imagine what you'll wear, what the audience will look like, how you will present your talk, what the questions will be and how you will answer them, etc. Visualize the experience the way you would have it be. You'll likely find that when the time comes to make the actual presentation, it will be "old hat" and much of your anxiety will have fled.

When the stress of having to get a job done gets in the way of getting the job done, diversion - a voluntary change in activity and/or environment - may be just what you need.

Talk it out. Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you can concentrate on problem solving.

One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home, leisure) which is in line with your personal needs and desires. If you hate desk jobs, don't accept a job which requires that you sit at a desk all day. If you hate to talk politics, don't associate with people who love to talk politics, etc.

Learn to live one day at a time.

Every day, do something you really enjoy.

Add an ounce of love to everything you do.

Take a hot bath or shower (or a cool one in summertime) to relieve tension.

Do something for somebody else.

Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.

Do something that will improve your appearance. Looking better can help you feel better.

Schedule a realistic day. Avoid the tendency to schedule back-to-back appointments; allow time between appointments for a breathing spell.

Become more flexible. Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some issues are fine to compromise upon.

Use your weekend time for a change of pace. If your work week is slow and patterned, make sure there is action and time for spontaneity built into your weekends. If your work week is fast-paced and full of people and deadlines, seek peace and solitude during your days off. Feel as if you aren't accomplishing anything at work? Tackle a job on the weekend which you can finish to your satisfaction.

"Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." That's another way of saying: take care of the todays as best you can and the yesterdays and the tomorrows will take care of themselves.

Do one thing at a time. When you are with someone, be with that person and with no one or nothing else. When you are busy with a project, concentrate on doing that project and forget about everything else you have to do.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

I cried today... After I told my Mom I'd hit the century mark -100 pounds she cried and said, "Last year at this time I thought I would outlive you" Wow. So there we were balling and happy all at the same time.

Wooooooooooo Hoooooooooo! -100 I did it!

A quote in my horoscope this morning said it all: "Don't be content living in your dreams without trying to make them real."

A little over 8 months ago I decided I was going to change my life. It was the best decision I have ever made. I'm happy, healthy, and loving life.

About Me

I had my guts rearranged (aka Weight Loss Surgery, RNY gastric bypass surgery June 2006) This blog is basically me rambling about my world. I also post recipes that I've adapted to make weight loss surgery friendly.
I love to cook.
I have always loved to cook. It's my creative outlet. I was scared that having weight loss surgery would put an end to my days in the kitchen but happily it did not. I actually get to be even more creative by analyzing a favorite recipe and seeing where I can make changes to make a healthier version of a pre-op favorite.